Winch, vehicle including the same and method of operating associated thereto

ABSTRACT

A winch ( 1 ), a vehicle including the same and a method of operating associated thereto. The winch ( 1 ) is used with a strap ( 15 ) for fastening a load onto a transportation vehicle, and comprises a tightening assembly ( 3 ) and a gear assembly ( 5 ). The tightening assembly ( 3 ) comprises a support structure having first and second support flanges ( 7, 9 ) and a cross member ( 11 ) extending between the flanges ( 7, 9 ). The cross member ( 11 ) is devised for mounting onto a corresponding side track of the vehicle. The tightening assembly ( 3 ) also comprises a tightening reel ( 13 ) for receiving a portion of the strap ( 15 ) to be tightened about said reel ( 13 ), the tightening reel ( 13 ) being pivotally mounted onto the first and second support flanges ( 7,9 ). The gear assembly ( 5 ) is operatively connected to the tightening assembly ( 3 ), and comprises a gear ( 17 ), a worm ( 19 ), and a casing ( 21 ). The gear ( 17 ) is securely mounted about the tightening reel ( 13 ) so as to rotate with said reel ( 13 ). The worm ( 19 ) is positioned adjacent to the gear the worm ( 17 ) is threadedly engaged with the gear ( 19 ) so that a rotation of the worm ( 17 ) drives the tightening reel ( 13 ) via the gear ( 17 ), along opposite directions of rotation, for either fastening or unfastening the strap ( 15 ) onto the tightening reel ( 13 ). Excess portion of the strap  15  may be wound about a winding assembly ( 27 ) which is removably mountable onto the tightening assembly ( 3 ).

This application is a 371 of PCT/CA2004/000109, filed Jan. 27, 2004,which claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 2,417,715,filed Jan. 27, 2003; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/442,559,filed Jan. 27, 2003; Canadian Patent Application No. 2,433,752 filedJun. 27, 2003; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/482,724filed Jun. 27, 2003. The entire contents of each of the aboveapplications is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a winch, to a vehicle including thesame, and to a method of operating associated thereto, namely to amethod of securing cargo on a vehicle with the winch and a correspondingfastening strap. The winch is particularly useful for various types oftransportation vehicles, such as flatbed trucks, railcars, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known in the art that a trailer with platform is a roadtransportation vehicle which comprises a loading tray. There are varioustypes of loads which may be transported on such a vehicle with platformand these generally consist of heavy objects, objects disposed onpallets, and/or other types of objects whose handling requires the useof hauling mechanisms, such as hoists, which typically have access tothe load either by the side(s) of the vehicle or by the top thereof.

It is also known in the art that these types of transportation vehiclesare generally equipped with transversal securement devices which aretypically arranged along the longitudinal axis of the loading tray, ontocorresponding side rails or tracks. The users of these vehicles mustconform to the requirements of security standards, in regards to the useof securement devices of adequate capacity, the required number thereofbeing established according to the payload being transported and to thelength of the load to be secured.

Typical securement devices are tie down winches which are very wellknown in the art. Indeed, these types of winches are generally installedon a trailer, and more particularly are inserted onto rails present oneach side of the trailer, and positioned at desired locations. They areused for tightening the fastening belts, also known as straps, etc., aswell as the chains and other fastening accessories used to securedifferent loads carried by the trailer.

Known in the art are several types of rails. On most trailers, winchesare inserted onto the rails by means of corresponding grooves providedon the winches. On other trailers, winches are inserted on the rails bymeans of an optional plate which is typically welded on the top of thewinch. On yet other trailers, other suitable mounting means may be used.

A conventional tie down winch generally comprises a slit for receivingan end of a fastening strap, a reel for winding the strap about thesame, and a hole or opening for receiving a winding bar so as to be ableto wind and tighten the strap about the reel. The installation of beltson conventional winches is generally carried out as follows. Firstly,the belt is inserted through the slit or opening(s) of the winch reel.This step is done only at the first installation of the belt on thewinch. Secondly, the belt is then rolled-up onto the winch reel. Thewinding-up of the belt is generally done manually. The belt is thenpassed over the load and fixed to the other side of the trailer by meansof its hook, and tightened in place about the reel with a winding bar.The conventional tie down winch is typically provided with a ratchetsafety mechanism for maintaining a certain tightening of the strap andfor preventing unwinding thereof.

A problem associated with this type of tie down winch and method oftightening is that it is impossible to tighten rather securely the winchin position when it is not used. Indeed, this is explained by the factthat during the tightening, the winch moves in the same direction as theforce applied which in turn provokes a premature wear of the trailerrails caused by the vibrations which result when the vehicle circulates.

It is also known in the art that the operation of a conventional winchand corresponding belt is typically carried out by means of a windingbar which is generally inserted into a corresponding hole on theright-hand side of the winch. The belt may be loosened by pushing thebar downwards. However, the latch must be raised to allow the reel toturn freely. As can be appreciated, this step is difficult because theuse of both hands by an operator is required to manipulate and the barand the latch at the same time. The belt is then unwound in the desiredlength simply by pulling it. The belt is then pulled over a load to befastened, to the opposite side of the trailer. The belt is then fixed tothe trailer support (or rail) on the opposite side of the trailer bymeans of its hook.

The excess of the belt is then rolled-up and aligned manually on thewinch reel, as aforementioned. The bar is then inserted into the hole oropening on the right-hand side of the winch. The belt is then tightenedby pushing and pulling the bar downwards. It has been found in the artthat this method of tightening requires a significant amount of force bythe user on the bar and thus has been found to cause wounds, namelystresses and strains on different body parts of an operator of suchtypical tie down winches. Furthermore, since the tightening forcetransmitted to the fastening belt is directly proportional to the forceapplied by the operator with the bar, it has been found that thephysical requirements and resulting fatigue of an operator generallyhave adverse consequences on the tightening tension applied to thedifferent fastening belts (they are not uniform, not constant, etc.).

Furthermore, it has also been found that since the belt is rolled-up onitself several times, there will be a loss of tension in the belt due tothe yielding of the wound portion of the belt and as a result thereof,it is necessary that the transportation vehicle be stopped periodicallyand that the load be retightened several times during the transportationof the cargo.

Also known in the art are other types of securement devices which aretypically known as chain benders. A typical chain bender generallycomprises a bender and a tightening bar. These chain benders andcorresponding chains are often stored at the back of the vehicle whenthey are not used. Similarly to the fastening straps, a chain isgenerally pulled over the load and fixed to the trailer support (orrail) on the opposite side of the trailer by means of its hook.

It is known in the art that the bender is then fixed to a link of thechain and to the support of the trailer by means of its hooks. The hookof the chain bender must be moved on the link that will allow atightening. The tightening bar is then inserted on the handle of thechain bender, and tightening of the chain is carried out with thetightening bar.

It has been found in the art that what often happens is that the linkused does not allow an adequate tightening of the chain. As a resultthereof, a proper tightening is very difficult to obtain. Moreover, thehandle of the chain bender is often reassured by means of an elasticbelt provided with hooks, in order to impede the bender from openingitself and from having to retighten it (loss of time).

Known to the Applicant are the following patents and patent applicationswhich describe different winches, as well as the various accessoriesused therewith: CA 2,230,620; CA 2,354,934; U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,443;U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,506; U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,664; U.S. Pat. No.5,346,53; U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,030; U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,164; U.S. Pat.No. 6,102,637; and DE 42 26 083 A1.

Also known in the art are the various disadvantages associated with theabove-described types of conventional winches. Indeed, in regards to thetightening of straps/chains, the conventional winch uses a principle oflever so as to enable to tightening the straps/chains. Indeed, a bar(typically three feet in length) must be inserted into a correspondinghole in the reel of the winch and pushed downwards to tighten thefastening straps by means of substantial physical requirement to theoperator of the winch. The substantial disadvantages of such tighteningmethod is that it is very demanding physically and can cause seriousharms and/or injuries to an operator. Furthermore, due to the poordesign and components of such typical tie down winch and correspondingstraps, the tightening is often uneven on all the different winches of atrailer because the level of fatigue of the operator increases from thetightening of a first winch to the tightening of a subsequent winch.Indeed, it has been found that there are substantial tightening tensiondiscrepancies between the first winch tightened by the operator and thelast winch tightened by the operator which in turn causes tighteningunbalances along the cargo supported by the vehicle, which is veryundesirable for stability reasons, as can be easily understood.

Another substantial disadvantage associated with conventional winches isthat the tightening force thereof is not constant and not uniform. Asaforementioned, very often there is not enough tightening force presentin the fastening straps, and/or there are differences in the tighteningforces from one strap to another, and this increases the risk ofslipping and shifting of the load during transportation, which is veryundesirable.

Another disadvantage associated with conventional winches is that thetension applied to the belt is maintained by means of a latch fixed tothe frame of the winch, which blocks the reel. In the advent of areversal of the trailer, the pressure will thus be distributed by thelatch onto the frame of the winch, and in turn this will tend to deformthe winch under the impact and release the load, which is veryundesirable for obvious reasons known in the art.

Another problem associated with conventional winches is that the belt issqueezed on itself around the reel of the winch during the tighteningprocess which is undesirable because the belt presses on itself duringthe tightening, thereby resulting in a loss of tightening tension.Moreover, as a result thereof, the tightening is uneven on all thedifferent winches of the trailer which in turn provokes a deformationand a premature wear of the trailer. Moreover, as a result of theaforementioned, there is a loss of tension in the belts due to thevibrations during the transportation which in turn obliges the operatorto frequently stop the vehicle and retighten the belt several timesduring a given trip. Moreover, there is a premature wear of the beltresulting when the tightening in the presence of sand, dust and/or otherdebris between the windings of the belt.

Another problem associated with conventional winches is that the beltmust be manually rolled-up on all its length about the reel of the winchbefore being tightening in place with the winding bar. This isundesirable because it is a long procedure and very time-consuming; doesnot allow to fix solidly the winch to the rails of the trailer becausethe winch moves in the same direction as the tightening force; andcauses wear of the trailer rails to which winches are fixed due to thevibrations of the winches when the vehicle circulates. Indeed, incertain cases, rails must be replaced on a yearly basis, which is verycostly.

Another problem associated with conventional winches is that theoperator must raise the latch to unblock the reel at the same time ashe/she is attempting to loosen the belt by means of the winding bar.This is very undesirable because it is difficult to operate the winchsince the operator must use both hands to operate both the latch and thewinding bar at the same time.

Another problem associated with conventional winches and with the chainbenders used therewith is that once again, the principle of lever isrequired to tighten the chains, which in turn results in the samedisadvantages associated with conventional winches and their straps.Indeed, this is very undesirable in that the method is very demandingphysically and can cause serious harms and/or injuries to the operatorof the winch. Moreover, an operator is often required to go over theload in order to operate the chain benders, which may in turn result infalls from the load and serious injuries to the operator. Furthermore,the load is often unsufficiently or excessively tightened because thestep of tightening is based on the length of a given chain link, whichin turn causes an improper tightening and damages to the equipment.

Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improvedwinch which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able toovercome some of the aforementioned prior art problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a winch whichsatisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and which is thus animprovement over other related winches known in the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved,as will be easily understood, with a winch for use with a strap forfastening a load onto a transportation vehicle, the winch comprising:

-   -   a tightening assembly, the tightening assembly comprising:        -   a support structure having first and second support flanges            and a cross member extending between the support flanges,            the cross member being devised for mounting onto a            corresponding side track of the vehicle; and        -   a tightening reel for receiving a portion of the strap to be            tightened about said reel, the tightening reel being            pivotally mounted onto the first and second support flanges;    -   a gear assembly operatively connected to the tightening        assembly, the gear assembly comprising:        -   a gear securely mounted about the tightening reel so as to            rotate with said reel;        -   a worm positioned adjacent to the gear and operable between            a first configuration where the worm is away from the gear,            and a second configuration where the worm is threadedly            engaged with the gear so that a rotation of the worm drives            the tightening reel via the gear; and    -   a casing mounted onto the first support flange of the support        structure and having corresponding recesses for containing the        gear and worm respectively.

Preferably, the winch comprises a winding assembly removably mountableonto the tightening assembly, the winding assembly comprising:

-   -   a support structure having first and second extensions and a        cross member extending between the extensions, the ends of the        extensions being removably mountable onto the tightening        assembly; and    -   a winding reel for receiving an excess portion of the strap to        be wound about the same, the winding reel being pivotally        mounted onto the first and second extensions.

Preferably also, the ends of the extensions of the winding assembly areremovably mountable onto the tightening reel of the tightening assembly,and wherein the winding assembly is pivotably movable with respect tosaid tightening assembly, the winch further comprising adjustment means37 for selectively adjusting the positioning of the winding assemblywith respect to the tightening assembly.

Preferably also, the tightening assembly comprises a clamping lamellaremovably mounted onto the tightening reel, the clamping lamella beingprovided with at least one leg mounted into the tightening reel andbeing movable thereabout, the clamping lamella being operable between afirst configuration where it is positioned away from the tightening reelso as to enable a portion of the strap to be brought onto and removedfrom the tightening reel, and a second configuration where the clampinglamella is positioned with respect to the tightening reel so as todefine a slit between the lamella and the tightening reel for receivinga segment of the strap thereinbetween, and where further rotation of thetightening reel, and further rotation of the strap about the clampinglamella, biases the clamping lamella towards the tightening reel forclamping the strap segment against the tightening reel.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is also atransportation vehicle provided with a winch such as the one brieflydescribed herein and such as the one exemplified in the accompanyingdrawings.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is also provideda method of fastening a load with a strap onto the above-mentionedtransportation vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   a) providing the transportation vehicle;    -   b) mounting the winch onto a corresponding side track of the        transportation vehicle;    -   c) attaching a first extremity of the strap onto an anchoring        point;    -   d) clamping a portion of the strap about the tightening reel;    -   e) rotating the tightening reel so as to tighten the strap.

Preferably, step e) comprises the step of: f) operating the worm in itssecond configuration so as rotate the tightening reel via the gear.Preferably also, the method comprises the steps of: g) mounting awinding assembly onto the tightening assembly of the winch; and h)winding an excess portion of the strap onto the winding reel of thewinding assembly.

The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention willbecome more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictivedescription of preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose ofexemplification only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a winch according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention, the winding assembly of the winchbeing shown detached from the tightening assembly which is shownprovided with a gear assembly.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the winch of FIG. 1, the winchbeing shown now with the winding assembly mounted onto the tighteningassembly.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the winch of FIG. 2, the winchbeing shown now with the winding assembly in a vertical position withrespect to the tightening assembly.

FIG. 4 is another side perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is another side perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the winch of FIG. 5, the winchbeing shown now with the winding assembly in a retracted horizontalposition with respect to the tightening assembly, and with thetightening reel having been rotated.

FIG. 7 is another side perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 3, the winchbeing shown now with an end portion of a strap from a vehicle beinginserted into the slit defined between the clamping lamella and thetightening reel, and with the worm in the first configuration.

FIG. 9 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 8, the winchbeing shown now with the end portion of the strap being wound about aportion of the tightening reel and inserted into the slit definedbetween the rod and the winding reel.

FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 9, the winchbeing shown now with an excess portion of the strap being wound aboutthe winding reel.

FIG. 11 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 10, the winchbeing shown now after the tightening reel has been rotated so as toclamp a segment of the strap between the clamping lamella and thetightening reel.

FIG. 12 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 11, the winchbeing shown now with the worm in the second configuration.

FIG. 13 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 12, the winchbeing shown now after the strap has being tighten onto the tighteningreel by means of the worm, and with the winding assembly pulled backinto a retracted horizontal position.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the winch according to the presentinvention, a sectional view of the gear assembly being shown, with theworm being in the first configuration.

FIG. 15 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 14, the wormbeing shown in the second configuration.

FIG. 16 is another side perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 3, thewinch being shown with the worm in the second configuration and with thetightening reel having been rotated.

FIG. 17 is another perspective of the winch of FIG. 2, the winch beingshown now with a strap wound about the winding reel of the windingassembly.

FIG. 18 is another perspective of the winch of FIG. 17, the winch beingshown now with the clamping lamella in a retracted configuration andwith an end portion of the strap being movable with respect to thetightening reel.

FIG. 19 is another perspective of the winch of FIG. 18, the winch beingshown now with the clamping lamella in a clamping configuration and witha segment of strap being clamped by said lamella.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a tightening reel according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention, the tightening reel beingshown provided with a ratchet wheel, a gear, and a tightening head.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of what is shown in FIG. 20, the tighteningreel being shown provided with a clamping lamella and correspondingrecesses according to a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of what is shown in FIG. 20, the tighteningreel being shown provided with a clamping lamella and correspondingrecesses according to a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the components of a clampinglamella according to a third preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 24 is side elevational view of what is shown in FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of what is shown in FIG. 23, theclamping device being shown provided with a biasing means.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the winch according to the presentinvention, a sectional view of the gear assembly being shown, with thepawl arm being shown in its first configuration.

FIG. 27 is another perspective view of the winch of FIG. 26, the pawlarm being shown now in its second configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, the same numerical references refer tosimilar elements. The embodiments shown in the figures are preferred.

Moreover, although the present invention was primarily designed for usewith a flatbed truck, it may be used with other types of transportationvehicles and objects, such as railcars for example and the like, and inother fields, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. For thisreason, expressions such as “flatbed”, “truck”, “railcar”, etc., usedherein should not be taken as to limit the scope of the presentinvention and includes all other kinds of objects or fields with whichthe present invention could be used and may be useful.

Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expressions“winch”, “device”, “assembly”, “system”, and any other equivalentexpression and/or compound words thereof known in the art will be usedinterchangeably. Furthermore, the same applies for any other mutuallyequivalent expressions, such as “belt”, “chain”, and “strap”, or“fasten” and “secure”, as well as “cargo” and “load”, or even “rail” and“track”, for example, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.

In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present inventionas illustrated in the accompanying drawings may comprise variouscomponents such as pins, notches, washers, rods, knobs, heads, aclamping lamella, a hook, holes, a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm, etc., andalthough the preferred embodiment of the winch 1 as shown consists ofcertain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein,not all of these components and geometries are essential to theinvention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e.should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. Itis to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art,that other suitable components and cooperations thereinbetween, as wellas other suitable geometrical configurations may be used for the winch 1and corresponding parts according to the present invention, as will bebriefly explained hereinafter and as can be easily inferred herefrom,without departing from the scope of the invention.

Broadly described, the present invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, relates to a winch 1 to be used as a securementdevice used for securing cargo during transportation on flatbeds,railcars, and the like, as is well known in the art. The present winch 1may be used for fastening various types of straps, belts, and/or chainsused to hold down different types of loads during the transportationthereof on such vehicles. The present winch 1 is preferably of simpledesign and inexpensive to manufacture. As will be shown hereinbelow, thepresent winch 1 possesses several advantages when compared toconventional winches known in the art.

According to the present invention, and as better shown in FIGS. 1 to16, the winch 1 comprises a tightening assembly 3 and a gear assembly 5.The tightening assembly 3 comprises a support structure having first andsecond support flanges 7,9 and a cross member 11 extending between thesupport flanges 7,9. The cross member 11 is devised for mounting onto acorresponding side track of the vehicle, by suitable means, as is wellknown in the art. The tightening assembly 3 also comprises a tighteningreel 13 for receiving a portion of the strap 15 to be tightened aboutsaid reel, the tightening reel 13 being pivotally mounted onto the firstand second support flanges 7,9, as can be easily understood whenreferring to FIGS. 5 and 6, and FIGS. 10 and 11.

As better shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the gear assembly 5 is operativelyconnected to the tightening assembly 3, and comprises a gear 17, a worm19, and a casing 21. The gear 17 is securely mounted about thetightening reel 13 so as to rotate with said reel. The worm 19 ispositioned adjacent to the gear 17 and operable between a firstconfiguration where the worm 19 is away from the gear 17, and a secondconfiguration where the worm 19 is threadedly engaged with the gear 17so that a rotation of the worm 19 drives the tightening reel 13 via thegear 17, along opposite directions of rotation, for either fastening orunfastening the strap 15 onto the tightening reel 13. It is worthmentioning that the gear assembly 5 is preferably devised so that if theworm 19 is in the second configuration, it may be triggeredautomatically back into the first configuration when rotating the worm19 in a direction corresponding to an untightening of the strap 15.

The casing 21 is mounted onto the first support flange 7 of the supportstructure and has corresponding recesses for containing the gear 17 andworm 19 respectively. The casing 21 is preferably devised so as toenclose the gear 17 and the worm 19 and to protect them from water,sand, dust and other debris. The casing 21 may also comprise alubrication point 23, as better shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, so as tointroduce a suitable lubrication material, such as grease for example,into the worm-gear assembly, with a suitable lubrication device, such astandard “grease gun” for example. Preferably, the recess of the casing21 containing the worm 19 is a bore, and the worm 19 is preferablyslidably movable within said bore so as to facilitate operation of theworm 19 between its first and second configurations. The bore may beprovided with a suitable bushing 25, as better illustrated in FIGS. 1and 15. It is worth mentioning that the casing 21 may take on othershapes and forms and may consist of other components, so long as itprovides a coupling and an uncoupling mode of the worm 19 onto the gear17, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example, the casing21 may comprise a pivoting support containing the worm 19 and beingpivotable between first and second positions corresponding to the firstand second configurations of the worm 19 where it is respectivelyuncoupled and coupled onto the gear 17.

Preferably, the gear 17 is welded onto the tightening reel 13 and isprovided with suitable gear teeth, preferably driven by the worm 19 andallowing the rotation of the tightening reel 13 in the desired directionvia a rotation of the worm 19 when in the second configuration, so as totransmit a suitable tightening force thereto.

According to the present invention, as better shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, thewinch 1 also preferably comprises a winding assembly 27 being removablymountable onto the tightening assembly 3. The winding assembly 27comprises a support structure and a winding reel 29. The supportstructure has first and second extensions 31,33 and a cross member 35extending between the extensions, the ends of the extensions beingremovably mountable onto the tightening assembly 3. The winding reel 29is used for receiving an excess portion of the strap 15 to be woundabout the same, and is pivotally mounted onto the first and secondextensions of the winding assembly 27.

Preferably, the support structures of the tightening and windingassemblies are substantially U-shaped. In regards to the supportstructure of the tightening assembly 3, it is preferably a piece in theshape of an inverted “U” to which the components of the tighteningassembly 3 and gear assembly 5 are operatively assembled or fixed to.Its faces or sides are preferably provided with corresponding holesthrough which the tightening reel 13 is inserted and pivotally mounted.Preferably, there is two grooves on each side of the support structureof the tightening assembly 3 which allow to insert the winch 1 on theside rails of a trailer and to make it slide to a desired positiontherealong. As previously mentioned, the support structure of thetightening assembly 3 may be provided with other suitable means foradequately mounting the winch 1 onto a corresponding rail or track of atransportation vehicle, as is well known in the art.

In regards to the support structure of the winding assembly 27, it ispreferably a piece in the shape of a “U” also to which all thecomponents of the winding assembly 27 are operatively assembled or fixedto. Its faces or sides are preferably provided with corresponding holesthrough which the winding reel 29 is inserted and pivotally mounted.

Preferably, the ends of the extensions of the winding assembly 27 areremovably mountable onto the tightening reel 13 of the tighteningassembly 3, and the winding assembly 27 is pivotably movable withrespect to said tightening assembly 3. Accordingly, the winch 1preferably further comprises adjustment means 37 for selectivelyadjusting the positioning of the winding assembly 27 with respect to thetightening assembly 3. As better shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the adjustmentmeans 37 preferably comprise a plurality of notches 37 provided along aperipheral side portion of the second support flange 9 of the tighteningassembly 3, and a locking pin 41 provided on the second extension 33 ofthe support structure of the winding assembly 27 for removably insertinginto a corresponding notch 37 of the peripheral side portion of thesecond support flange 9 of the tightening assembly 3 so as to lock thewinding assembly 27 into a corresponding position with respect to thetightening assembly 3. It is worth mentioning that other suitableadjustment means 37 may be used with the winch 1 according to thepresent invention, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Preferably, the ends of the first and second extensions of the windingassembly 27 are provided with a hook 43 and a hole 45 respectively, thehook 43 being shaped and sized for hooking the first extension 31 ontothe tightening reel 13, between the first and second support flanges 7,9of the support structure of the tightening assembly 3, adjacent to thefirst support flange 7, and the hole 45 being shaped and sized formounting the second extension 33 onto an end of the tightening reel 13,adjacent to an outer face of the second support flange 9, and can beeasily understood when referring to FIGS. 1 and 16.

Preferably also, as better shown in FIG. 16, the winch 1 comprises anabutment pin 47 provided on an inner face of the first support flange 7of the tightening assembly 3, said abutment pin 47 cooperating with acurved portion of the hook 43 of the first extension 31, the abutmentpin 47 being positioned on said inner face and the curved portion beingshaped and sized so as to prevent the hook 43 from being removed fromthe tightening reel 13 along a predetermined range of rotation of thewinding assembly 27 with respect to the tightening assembly 3. Indeed,as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 13, the winding assembly 27 may beadjustably pivoted with respect to the tightening assembly 3 without thehook 43 of the first extension 31 not removing itself from thetightening reel 13 due to its abutment relationship with the abutmentpin 47, but said winding assembly 27 may be removably detached from thetightening assembly 3 by pivoting the winding assembly 27 at a certainangle with respect to the tightening assembly 3 where the curved portionof the hook 43 of the first extension 31 is no longer in an abutmentrelationship with the abutment pin 47, thereby enabling the windingassembly 27 to be removed from the tightening assembly 3 when the end ofthe second extension 33 of the winding assembly 27 is removed from theend of the tightening reel 13 of the tightening assembly 3, as can beeasily understood when referring to FIGS. 1 and 16. This preferablyresults also from the fact that the support structure of the windingassembly 27 is made of a suitable metallic material, containing certainresilient properties, and having a pre-established shape for mountingonto the tightening reel 13 of the tightening assembly 3. The end of thetightening reel 13 on which the end of the second extension 33 of thewinding assembly 27 is mounted may be provided with a suitable pin beingremovably insertable into the end of the tightening reel 13 forselectively preventing the end of the second extension 33 of the windingassembly 27 from being removed from said tightening reel 13. As will beexplained hereinbelow, the winding assembly 27 may comprise suitableknobs 51 for enabling the U-shaped support structure of the windingassembly 27 to be spread out so as to enable the end of the secondextension 33 to be removed from the end of the tightening reel 13. Thefact that the winding assembly 27, with the possibility of acorresponding strap 15 being wound about the winding reel 29, may beeasily removable from the tightening assembly 3 and similarly, easilymountable thereon, is particularly advantageous in that, if the straps15 of a given vehicle need to be changed by other types of straps 15, orstored for that matter, the necessary changes can be made by changingthe winding assemblies for example, or removing in the case of storing,which is done very easily, quickly, and easily as briefly explainedhereinabove. Indeed, the winding assemblies can be seen as strap“cartridges”. In contrast, with conventional winches, each strap 15would have to be unwound from its corresponding tightening reel, whichis extremely tedious.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, asbetter shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, and FIGS. 21 to 25, the tighteningassembly 3 comprises a clamping lamella 53 removably mounted onto thetightening reel 13, the clamping lamella 53 being provided with at leastone leg 55 mounted into the tightening reel 13 and being movablethereabout, the clamping lamella 53 being operable between a firstconfiguration where it is positioned away from the tightening reel 13 soas to enable a portion of the strap 15 to be brought onto and removedfrom the tightening reel 13, and a second configuration where theclamping lamella 53 is positioned with respect to the tightening reel 13so as to define a slit between the lamella 53 and the tightening reel 13for receiving a segment of the strap 15 thereinbetween, and wherefurther rotation of the tightening reel 13, and further rotation of thestrap 15 about the clamping lamella 53, biases the clamping lamella 53towards the tightening reel 13 for clamping the strap segment againstthe tightening reel 13. The clamping lamella 53 is preferably devised toenable to quickly attach and detach the strap 15 from the tighteningreel 13, irrespectively of the end piece (e.g. a chain, a hook, etc.)attached to the end portion of the strap 15.

FIGS. 21 to 25 illustrate different preferred embodiments of theclamping lamella 53 according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 21, there is shown one particular embodiment of aclamping lamella 53 where the longest of the legs 55 is provided with anabutment portion at its extremity preventing it from being detached fromthe corresponding recess of the tightening reel 13.

Referring to FIG. 22, there is shown another preferred embodiment of aclamping lamella 53 where the two legs 55 are each provided with anabutment portion at their extremities preventing them from beingdetached from the reel.

Referring now to FIGS. 23 to 25, there is shown another preferredembodiment of a clamping lamella 53 where the longest leg 55 ispreferably provided with threading at its extremity and is preferablyinserted through the tightening reel 13 and secured with a nut 57. Thesmallest leg 55 is preferably inserted into a hole on the reel and isintended to block the movement of the lamella 53 in a tighteningconfiguration. The hole in which the longest of the legs 55 is insertedis preferably bored so as to enable a limited movement of the lamella 53in the axis of the legs 55 and thus enable it to pivot about the reel.This configuration enables namely to be able to remove quickly the beltfrom the tightening reel 13 simply by raising the lamella 53. Thelamella 53 also enables to remove the winding assembly 27, andcorresponding strap 15, from the tightening assembly 3 by unscrewing thenut 57.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, the ends of the tightening reel 13 and ofthe worm 19 are preferably provided with corresponding heads 59,61 forreceiving a socket of a corresponding tool, such as a cranking tool.Preferably, the head 59 of the tightening reel 13 is securely mounted(i.e. by welding, machining, and the like) onto the tightening reel 13.It allows to drive the tightening reel 13 via a rotation of its head 59.Preferably, the head 61 of the worm 19 is non-securely mounted thereon(i.e. press fitting, and the like) and is preferably provided with ashear pin 63 extending between said head 61 and the end of the worm 19on which the head 61 is mounted, as can be easily understood whenreferring to FIGS. 1, 12 and 13. Activated in both directions byrotating its head 61, the worm 19 drives the tightening reel 13 via thegear 17 so as to transmit a tightening force onto the strap 15.Preferably also, the shear pin 63 protects the strap 15 and thetightening mechanism from damages caused by an excessive tightening, bybreaking itself at a predetermined tension, as can be easily understoodby a person skilled in the art.

Preferably also, one end of the winding reel 29 may be provided with acorresponding head for receiving a socket of the cranking tool, saidcorresponding head being securely mounted to the winding reel 29 so asto rotate therewith, and another end of the winding reel 29 may beprovided with a knob 51 being theadedly mountable onto said another endof the winding reel 29. As better shown in FIGS. 3 to 13, a pair ofknobs 51 are preferably used for manually winding the belt about itswinding reel 29. A first handle or knob 51 is preferably securelymounted, such as by welding, for example, to an extremity of the windingreel 29 enabling the winding of the strap 15. A second handle or knob 51is preferably screwed into the other extremity of the winding reel 29for enabling to securely tighten the winding assembly 27 so as to avoidthat the belt unwinds once wounded. Furthermore, this second handle ispreferably further devised so that an untightening thereof enables tospread apart the ends of the extensions of the support structure of thewinding assembly 27 for removably mounting and/or detaching the windingassembly 27 onto and/or from the tightening assembly 3.

The different heads of the winch 1 preferably have a same hexagonalshape. Preferably, the winch 1 is operated with a crank ratchet providedwith an hexagonal socket coming to couple on the corresponding heads,and allowing to pass on the necessary force to make the correspondingcomponents turn in a direction or in the other one. Thus, the heads arepreferably shaped so as to be operated by a same tool. It worthmentioning that some heads (e.g. the head of the tightening reel 13, thehead of the winding reel 29, etc.) may be operated by other suitablemeans, such a manually for example, as apparent to a person skilled inthe art.

According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the gearassembly 5 may comprise a ratchet wheel 65 and a pawl lever 67. Theratchet wheel 65 is preferably securely mounted about the tighteningreel 13 so as to rotate with said reel, the ratchet wheel 65 beingprovided with a plurality of peripheral teeth. The pawl lever 67preferably has an extremity positioned adjacent to the ratchet wheel 65and operable between a first configuration where the extremity of thepawl lever 67 is away from the ratchet wheel 65, and a secondconfiguration where the extremity of the pawl lever 67 is inserted intoa corresponding tooth of the ratchet wheel 65, thereby preventing theratchet wheel 65 and the tightening wheel from further rotating along agiven direction.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 26, the pawl lever 67 can be disengaged soto allow the ratchet wheel 65 to turn in both directions. However, whenengaged onto the ratchet wheel 65, as shown in FIG. 27, the pawl lever67 blocks the wheel and allows its rotation in the direction oftightening only to avoid that the belt be unrolled. The pawl lever 67may be shaped and sized so as to be biased by gravity in order to bebiased into the second configuration, the first configuration being onlyactivated manually by an operator for example. It is worth mentioningalso that according to the present invention, the presence of theratchet wheel 65 is not necessary since the gear assembly 5 is devisedso as to maintain the tightening assembly 3 in a corresponding tightenedconfiguration, due to the nature of the interaction between the gear 17and the worm 19 when in the second configuration, which can be seen as alocking and/or driving configuration of the worm 19 onto the gear 17,and thus onto the tightening reel 13.

Preferably, the winch 1 comprises with a rod 69 mounted onto the windingreel 29 so as to define a slit between the rod 69 and the winding reel29, said slit being shaped and sized for receiving an end portion of thestrap 15. This enables namely to facilitate the winding of the excessportion of the strap 15 onto the winding assembly 27.

As can be easily understood from the above-described, the preferredembodiment of winch 1 illustrated in the accompanying drawings ispreferably intended for minimizing components and assembling steps,while providing a suitable manner for easily, quickly and safelyfastening a load with a winch 1 and corresponding strap 15 onto atransportation vehicle.

Moreover, according to another aspect of the present invention, there isalso provided a transportation vehicle provided with a winch 1 such asthe ones described and illustrated herein, as exemplified in theaccompanying figures.

It is worth mentioning that according to yet another aspect of thepresent invention, there is also provided a method of operating theabove-described winch 1, i.e. a method for fastening a load with a winch1 and corresponding strap 15 onto a transportation vehicle, the methodcomprising the steps of: a) providing the above-described transportationvehicle; b) mounting the winch 1 onto a corresponding side track of thetransportation vehicle; c) attaching a first extremity of the strap 15onto an anchoring point; d) clamping a portion of the strap 15 about thetightening reel 13; and e) rotating the tightening reel 13 so as totighten the strap 15.

Preferably, step e) comprises the step of: f) operating the worm 19 inits second configuration so as rotate the tightening reel 13 via thegear 17. Preferably also, the method further comprises the steps of: g)mounting a winding assembly 27 onto the tightening assembly 3 of thewinch 1; and h) winding an excess portion of the strap 15 onto thewinding reel 29 of the winding assembly 27.

The winch 1 according to the present invention is preferably insertedonto a corresponding rail on a proper side of the trailer and positionedat a suitable location for securing the cargo on the trailer.Preferably, a plurality of such winches 1 is used, as apparent to aperson skilled in the art. The present winch 1 may be inserted onto therail by means of grooves or may be inserted on the rail by means of anoptional plate welded on the top of the winch 1, as well as by othersuitable means, as previously mentioned and as apparent to a personskilled in the art.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, betterillustrated in FIGS. 8 to 13, the installation of a strap 15 on a winch1 and the fastening of said strap 15 onto a load to be secured on avehicle with the winch 1 is preferably carried out as follows. Firstly,the strap 15 is inserted through a slit or opening of the tighteningreel 13. FIG. 8 illustrates an end portion of the strap 15 from avehicle being inserted into the slit defined between the clampinglamella 53 and the tightening reel 13, the worm 19 of the winch 1 beingpreferably in the first configuration. The strap 15 is then insertedthrough the slit of the winding reel 29, as better shown in FIG. 9.Indeed, this figure illustrates the winch 1 being shown now with the endportion of the strap 15 being wound about a portion of the tighteningreel 13 and inserted into the slit defined between the rod 69 and thewinding reel 29. These steps are generally done only at the firstinstallation of the strap 15 on the winch 1. Preferably, the belt isthen rolled-up by means of the handle (or head) on the winding reel 29of the winch 1, as can be easily understood from FIG. 10. Indeed, thisfigure illustrates the winch 1 with an excess portion of the strap 15being wound about the winding reel 29. This winding step is very fastwhen compared to what is possible with conventional winches because thehandle (or head) of the winding reel 29 may be easily and quicklyrotated, either manually, or preferably with a tool in the case wherethe end of the winding reel 29 is provided with a head (not shown).Moreover, it further allows to wind strap 15 in an aligned manner.

The belt is then fixed by means of its hook, or other suitable device,onto a corresponding anchoring point, whether it is by passing the strap15 over the cargo to be secured and onto the opposite side of thetrailer, or by attaching the strap 15 onto an end of a chain used tosecure the cargo. The strap 15 is then tightened in place via the winch1. FIG. 11 shows the winch 1 after the tightening reel 13 has beenrotated so as to remove the slack on the strap 15 and clamp a segment ofthe strap 15 between the clamping lamella 53 and the tightening reel 13.After which, the worm 19 of the winch 1 is triggered into in the secondconfiguration, preferably simply by pushing the worm 19 into the boreand rotating the worm 19 so as to threadedly engage the gear 17, andthus drive the gear 17 and in turn tightening reel 13, causing the strap15 to tighten, as can be easily understood when referring to FIGS. 14and 15. FIG. 13 illustrates the winch 1 after the strap 15 has beingtighten onto the tightening reel 13 by means of the worm 19, and withthe winding assembly 27 pulled back into a retracted horizontalposition.

It is worth mentioning that, according to the present invention, some ofthe above-mentioned steps may be interchanged in order without affectingthe proper operation of the winch 1, as apparent to a person skilled inthe art, and without departing form the scope of the present invention.Indeed, for example, the winding of the excess portion of the strap 15onto the winding reel 29 may be done before or after the tightening ofthe strap 15 onto the tightening reel 13.

Moreover, as can be easily understood from the aforementioned, since theportion of the strap 15 which is not used to secure the cargo is woundabout the winding reel 29, only a few turns about the tightening reel13, i.e. about two to four turns around the tightening reel 13 arerequired according to the present invention for properly securing thestrap 15 and applying the necessary tension thereon. This method oftightening also allows to fix solidly the winch 1 to the side of thetrailer when it is not being used to secure cargo on the vehicle, andthus prevents it from vibrating when the vehicle circulates.

The operation of the winch 1 according to the present invention is alsoadvantageous in that the strap 15 may be loosened by means of the worm19 simply by turning it some turns along a given direction, preferablycounterclockwise.

Preferably, the strap 15 is tightened by means of the worm 19 simply byturning it via its head 61 some turns along a given direction,preferably in the clockwise direction. This method of tightening doesnot require a lot of force because the ratio of the worm 19 and the gear17 according to the present invention is devised to be important and tomultiply the force applied by the operator onto the crank. This methodof tightening also allows to obtain a more uniform tightening on all thewinches 1 because the fatigue and physical capabilities (i.e. strength)of the operator are no longer significant factors which influence thetightening of the straps 15.

Preferably, as aforementioned, about two to four turns of the strap 15about the tightening reel 13 are sufficient. The winch 1 is fast andallows the belt to keep its tension because it winds on itself (i.e. thetightening reel 13, rather than on a large portion of wound strapportions). Indeed, the portion of the strap 15 which is not used forfastening the load is wound about a separate winding reel 29, and notthe tightening reel 13.

Alternatively, it is possible to use a ratchet key with a conventionalsocket to make the tightening. The key is then inserted on thetightening head 59 of the tightening reel 13 and activated in theclockwise direction for example to tighten the strap 15.

As may now be appreciated, the present invention is a substantialimprovement over other related winches known in the prior art in that,by virtue of its design and components, the winch 1 according to thepresent invention overcomes several of the prior art problems.

More particularly, in regards to tightening, the present winch 1preferably uses a worm 19 which drives a gear 17. The worm 19 ispreferably activated by means of a crank ratchet and the necessaryeffort is substantially reduced and practically nonexistent due to animportant ratio of couple between the worm 19 and the gear 17. Theadvantages resulting therefrom are that the use of this type of systemeliminates the risk of injuries to the operator of the winch 1; thetightening does not require a big physical effort by the operator; andthe tightening is more uniform on all the winches 1 throughout thetrailer. Alternatively, as aforementioned, it is also possible to use aratchet key with a standard socket to make the tightening. Preferably,the key is inserted on the tightening head 59 of the tightening reel 13and activated in the clockwise direction to tighten the load. Preferablyalso, the worm 19 is devised to be automatically triggered intocorresponding first and second configurations when rotated alongcorresponding untightening and tightening directions of the strap 15.Preferably also, once the load is tightened, the tension in the strap 15is maintained by the gear assembly 5, and the ratchet wheel 65 device isonly provided alternatively, as a fail safe mechanism.

Concerning the tightening force, the winch 1 according to the presentinvention is advantageous in that, as can be easily understood from theaforementioned and the accompanying drawings, the tightening force whichis achievable with the present winch 1 is more constant and uniform thanwhat is possible with the winches of the prior art. Indeed, a biggerforce of tightening may be achieved and there is less risk that theresulting secured load moves during the transportation.

Concerning the maintaining of the tightening tension in the fasteningstrap 15 s, the present winch 1 according to the present invention isalso advantageous in that the tension of tightening is maintained by thepressure exercised between the gear 17 and the worm 19. Advantagesresulting therefrom are that the casing 21 stands by the tightening reel13 and becomes independent from the frame of the winch 1. The winch 1will thus less tend to deform during a reversal of the trailer forexample.

Concerning the roll-up of the belt during the tightening, the winch 1according to the present invention is also advantageous when compared tothose of the prior art in that only about two to four turns of belt arepreferably rolled-up on the tightening reel 13 to provide the belt witha suitable tension. The excess of the belt is rolled-up on the windingreel 29. Advantages resulting therefrom are that there is a greatertightening force because a reduced portion of the strap 15 presses ontoitself; the tightening is more uniform on all of the winches 1; itallows the operator to avoid stopping the vehicle and retightening thebelts during the transportation; and there is a decrease of the wear ofthe belts.

Concerning the roll-up of the belt when the winch 1 is not being usedfor securing cargo on the vehicle, it can be also be appreciated thatthe winch 1 according to the present invention is also advantageous whencompared to those of the prior art. Indeed, only about two to four turnsof the belt is rolled-up on the tightening reel 13 of the winch 1 inorder to fix it securely. Moreover, the excess of the belt not used forsecuring is rolled-up on the winding up reel by means of a crank.Advantages resulting therefrom are the following: a fast procedure; aprinciple of tightening which allows to fix securely the winch 1 to therail of the trailer; and the elimination of wear of rails due tovibrations which occur during circulation of the trailer.

Concerning the unrolling of a belt, the present winch 1 according to thepresent invention is also advantageous in that once the worm 19 isuncoupled (i.e. the first configuration), the operator has only to raisethe clamping lamella 53 and unroll the belt. Indeed, the winch 1according to the present invention allows the use of a single hand tounroll the belt.

The winch 1 according to the present invention is also advantageous inthat it may be provided with an optional dynamometric socket. Indeed,according to the present invention, it is possible to use a crank or akey provided preferably with an hexagonal dynamometric socket such thatit is possible to obtain exactly the same tension of tightening on allthe winches 1, something that is not possible with conventional winches,as aforementioned.

The multifunction tie down winch 1 according to the present inventionmay be used on flatbed trailers, or may be used on other types oftransportation vehicles, such as railway vehicles, maritimetransportation, and the like.

The winch 1 according to the present invention is preferably devised soas to conform with the requirements of most security standards, inregards to the use of securement devices of suitable capacity, therequired number thereof being established namely according to the loadbeing transported and to the length of the load to be fastened.

Preferably, the components of the multifunction tie down winch 1according to the present invention are made of suitable metallicmaterials, such as steel for example, or any other suitable materials,for properly sustaining the different loads to which the winch 1 may besuggested to, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

As also apparent to a person skilled in the art, it is possible to makethe winch 1 without the winding up reel. This way, the winch 1 will bemore similar to a conventional winch but will still be provided with allthe advantages of using the worm-gear assembly instead of a winding bar.

As also apparent to a person skilled in the art, it is possible toprovide the winch 1 with a locking system for the winding up reel.Indeed, instead of using an indented wheel and a latch to lock thewinding reel 29 once the load is tightened, it is possible to use twopivoting arms for example, fixed at the bottom of each internal side ofthe frame. These two arms will preferably serve as a support for thetightening reel 13, and the worm-gear assembly. During the tightening,the arms can rotate and move up due to the force applied, and lock thewinding reel 29 at the end of their movement.

According to the present invention, the use of the winch 1 as a chainbender can be carried out by hooking the end hook of the strap 15 to thechain and by carrying out the same procedure of tightening, asabove-discussed.

As may now be better appreciated, the fact of being able to place thewinding assembly 27 in different positions with respect to thetightening assembly 3 enables to get around or avoid certain obstacleslocated under the trailer, such as chests, wheels, lights, and the like.

As may now be also better appreciated, the fact of being able ofdismounting quickly the support of the winch 1 enables to remove thebelt from the winch 1 and also to conform to this requirement where itapplies. Certain operators remove the belts simply for protecting themagainst precipitations and/or theft.

As may now be appreciated, the present invention is a substantialimprovement over the winches of the prior art in that, by virtue of itsdesign and components, as briefly explained herein, the winch 1according to the present invention a) eliminates the risk of accidentsand serious injuries associated to the use of conventional winches; b)facilitates the return to the work of people having suffered from recentinjuries (e.g. back or other body parts) since the physical requirementsfor operating the present winch 1 are fairly negligible; c) allowspeople with limited physical strength to reach more easily the market ofthe transportation by flatbed trailers, thus opening the door to womandrivers for example; d) allows to obtain a more powerful tightening ofthe loads without requiring much physical effort from the operator; e)allows to obtain a more uniform tightening on all the winches 1 of thetrailer; f) allows to avoid having to frequently stop the vehicle andretighten the load several times during the transportation of the cargo;g) decreases the time required for the tightening of a load; h)eliminates the use of conventional chain benders; i) increases the roadsafety by decreasing the risk of slipping and shifting of a load duringtransportation; j) reduces the wear of the belts; k) reduces theoperational costs in terms of time and material being used; l) willpossibly allow the owners to benefit from reduction on insuranceallowances or premiums paid to organisms involved in the management oftransportation due to the decrease in the probability of injuriesrelated to the use of the winches 1; and m) is preferably devised tomeet with the requirements of security standards.

Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-describedembodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

1. A winch for use with a strap for fastening a load onto atransportation vehicle, the winch comprising: a tightening assembly, thetightening assembly comprising: a support structure having first andsecond support flanges and a cross member extending between the supportflanges, the cross member being devised for mounting onto acorresponding side track of the vehicle; and a tightening reel forreceiving a portion of the strap to be tightened about said reel, thetightening reel being pivotally mounted onto the first and secondsupport flanges; a gear assembly operatively connected to the tighteningassembly, the gear assembly comprising: a gear securely mounted aboutthe tightening reel so as to rotate with said reel; a worm positionedadjacent to the gear and operable between a first configuration wherethe worm is away from the gear, and a second configuration where theworm is threadedly engaged with the gear so that a rotation of the wormdrives the tightening reel via the gear; and a casing mounted onto thefirst support flange of the support structure and having correspondingrecesses for containing the gear and worm respectively.
 2. A winchaccording to claim 1, wherein the winch comprises: a winding assemblyremovably mountable onto the tightening assembly, the winding assemblycomprising: a support structure having first and second extensions and across member extending between the extensions, the ends of theextensions being removably mountable onto the tightening assembly; and awinding reel for receiving an excess portion of the strap to be woundabout the same, the winding reel being pivotally mounted onto the firstand second extensions.
 3. A winch according to claim 2, wherein the endsof the extensions of the winding assembly are removably mountable ontothe tightening reel of the tightening assembly, and wherein the windingassembly is pivotably movable with respect to said tightening assembly,the winch further comprising adjustment means for selectively adjustingthe positioning of the winding assembly with respect to the tighteningassembly.
 4. A winch according to claim 3, wherein the adjustment meanscomprise: a plurality of notches provided along a peripheral sideportion of the second support flange of the tightening assembly; and alocking pin provided on the second extension of the support structure ofthe winding assembly for removably inserting into a corresponding notchof the peripheral side portion of the second support flange of thetightening assembly so as to lock the winding assembly into acorresponding position with respect to the tightening assembly.
 5. Awinch according to claim 1, wherein the tightening assembly comprises aclamping lamella removably mounted onto the tightening reel, theclamping lamella being provided with at least one leg mounted into thetightening reel and being movable thereabout, the clamping lamella beingoperable between a first configuration where it is positioned away fromthe tightening reel so as to enable a portion of the strap to be broughtonto and removed from the tightening reel, and a second configurationwhere the clamping lamella is positioned with respect to the tighteningreel so as to define a slit between the lamella and the tightening reelfor receiving a segment of the strap thereinbetween, and where furtherrotation of the tightening reel, and further rotation of the strap aboutthe clamping lamella, biases the clamping lamella towards the tighteningreel for clamping the strap segment against the tightening reel.
 6. Awinch according to claim 2, wherein the ends of the first and secondextensions of the winding assembly are provided with a hook and a holerespectively, the hook being shaped and sized for hooking the firstextension onto the tightening reel, between the first and second supportflanges of the support structure of the tightening assembly, adjacent tothe first support flange, and the hole being shaped and sized formounting the second extension onto an end of the tightening reel,adjacent to an outer face of the second support flange.
 7. A winchaccording to claim 6, wherein the winch comprises an abutment pinprovided on an inner face of the first support flange of the tighteningassembly, said abutment pin cooperating with a curved portion of thehook of the first extension, the abutment pin being positioned on saidinner face and the curved portion being shaped and sized so as toprevent the hook from being removed from the tightening reel along apredetermined range of rotation of the winding assembly with respect tothe tightening assembly.
 8. A winch according to claim 2, wherein thesupport structures of the tightening and winding assemblies aresubstantially U-shaped.
 9. A winch according to claim 2, wherein thewinch comprises with a rod mounted onto the winding reel so as to definea slit between the rod and the winding reel, said slit being shaped andsized for receiving an end portion of the strap.
 10. A winch accordingto claim 1, wherein ends of the tightening reel and of the worm areprovided with corresponding heads for receiving a socket of acorresponding cranking tool.
 11. A winch according to claim 10, whereinthe head of the worm is provided with a shear pin extending between saidhead and the end of the worm on which the head is mounted.
 12. A winchaccording to claim 1, wherein one end of the winding reel is providedwith a corresponding head for receiving a socket of a cranking tool,said corresponding head being securely mounted to the winding reel so asto rotate therewith.
 13. A winch according to claim 1, wherein anotherend of the winding reel is provided with a knob being theadedlymountable onto said another end of the winding reel.
 14. A winchaccording to claim 1, wherein the recess of the casing containing theworm is a bore, and wherein the worm is slidably movable within saidbore so as to facilitate operation of the worm between its first andsecond configurations.
 15. A winch according to claim 1, wherein thegear assembly comprises: a ratchet wheel securely mounted about thetightening reel so as to rotate with said reel, the ratchet wheel beingprovided with a plurality of peripheral teeth; and a pawl lever havingan extremity positioned adjacent to the ratchet wheel and operablebetween a first configuration where the extremity of the pawl lever isaway from the ratchet wheel, and a second configuration where theextremity of the pawl lever is inserted into a corresponding tooth ofthe ratchet wheel, thereby preventing the ratchet wheel and thetightening wheel from further rotating along a given direction.
 16. Atransportation vehicle comprising a winch according to claim
 1. 17. Amethod of fastening a load with a strap onto a transportation vehicleaccording to claim 16, the method comprising the steps of: a) providingthe transportation vehicle; b) mounting the winch onto a correspondingside track of the transportation vehicle; c) attaching a first extremityof the strap onto an anchoring point; d) clamping a portion of the strapabout the tightening reel; e) rotating the tightening reel so as totighten the strap.
 18. A method according to claim 17, wherein step e)comprises the step of: f) operating the worm in its second configurationso as rotate the tightening reel via the gear.
 19. A method according toclaim 17, wherein the method comprises the steps of: g) mounting awinding assembly onto the tightening assembly of the winch, said windingassembly comprising: a support structure having first and secondextensions and a cross member extending between the extensions, the endsof the extensions being removably mountable onto the tightening reel ofthe tightening assembly; and a winding reel for receiving an excessportion of the strap to be wound about the same, the winding reel beingpivotally mounted onto the first and second extensions; and h) windingan excess portion of the strap onto the winding reel of the windingassembly.